In last week's newsletter, I observed that there are a lot of folks out there who think that weight training is unnecessary and plyometrics are sufficient for injury prevention and performance enhancement in pitchers. While a system like this might hold some merit in a population such as football where many athletes already have a large strength foundation, it doesn't work as well in a baseball population, which doesn't have that same foundation.
To illustrate my point, I'm going to touch on a concept - static-spring proficiency - that I covered at length in my Ultimate Off-Season Training Manual. Essentially, you have "static" athletes, "spring" athletes, and everything in between the two. You can use a series of performance tests and evaluate an athlete's training history to get an appreciation for where each athlete falls on this continuum.
"Static" athletes tend to have a good strength foundation - so much, in fact, that they tend to "muscle" everything. In other words, there is less efficient use of the stretch-shortening cycle to produce force. An example might be a powerlifter attempting to go out and play basketball. In order to improve, a "static" athlete needs to focus on improving reactive ability.
"Spring" athletes are great at using stored elastic energy in tendons to produce power. An example would be a basketball or volleyball player who has been jumping for years and years to develop spring, but without much attention to building the underlying strength needed to best use it. So, obviously, to improve, these athletes need to enhance muscular strength while maintaining their great elastic qualities.
Here's an excerpt from my Off-Season Manual that personifies this in the world of baseball:
"The modern era of baseball is a great example, as we've had several homerun hitters who have all been successful - albeit by very different means.
"At the 'spring' end of the continuum, we have hitters like Gary Sheffield and Vladimir Guerrero demonstrating incredible bat speed. The ball absolutely rockets off their bats; they aren't 'muscling' their homeruns at all. Doing a lot of extra training for bat speed would be overkill for these guys; they'll improve their power numbers by increasing maximal strength alone.
"At the other end of the spectrum, we have 'static' homerun hitters like Mark McGwire and Jeff Bagwell, both of whom were well known for taking weight training very seriously. These guys are the ones 'muscling' baseballs out of the ballpark; the ball almost seems to sit on the barrel of the bat for a split-second before they "flip it" 500 feet. Getting stronger might help these guys a bit, but getting more spring by focusing on bat speed with reactive training (e.g., plyometrics, sprinting, medicine ball throws, ballistic push-ups, etc.) would be a more sure-fire means to improvement.
"Then, we have the 'middle-of-the-road' guys like Barry Bonds and Manny Ramirez. They possess an excellent blend of static and spring, so they need to train some of both to continue improving physically.
"Bonds is actually a good example of how an athlete's position on the static-spring continuum can change over the course of a career. When he started out, he was definitely a 'spring' guy, hitting most of his homeruns with pure bat speed. As Bonds' career progressed, his maximal strength improved due to neural adaptations and increased cross sectional area (more muscle mass).
"In light of the media attention surrounding the use of performance-enhancing substances in baseball, I should mention how he increased his muscle mass isn't the issue in question in the discussion at hand. The point is that he did increase muscle mass, which increased maximal strength, which favorably affected performance. The performance enhancing substances question really isn't of concern to this discussion."
Now, here's where it gets interesting - and where you get a bit more time to think about this.
Obviously, even to the most casual observer, not all baseball players are like Manny Ramirez, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Jeff Bagwell, Gary Sheffield, and Vladimir Guerrero. This isn't rocket science; they are/were a heck of a lot more skilled and experienced than the overwhelming majority of the professional baseball world, and certainly all of the amateur ranks.
How are they different? And, why can't we just assume what might work for some of them will work for those aiming to reach the levels they've attained?
Well, you'll just have to think about that until Newsletter 141...
New Blog ContentRandom Friday ThoughtsSunday ThoughtsPush-ups for Baseball PlayersStuff You Should Read
All the Best,
EC
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used by Cressey Performance Pitchers after they Throw!
1. It's come to my attention that over 54 million people have come to recognize this young YouTube guitar dude as a total bada**, so it seemed only fitting that he be today's music selection:
Had I not won the Nobel Prize at age 12 and hopped up Mt. Everest on one leg at 16, I might be wondering what the heck I was doing with my life at age 27 after watching that. But, let's move on to the good stuff.
2. It wouldn't be a week in my apartment if my girlfriend didn't watch "The Biggest Loser" with me in the room contemplating ripping my hair out. I got a kick out of it this week when they had a 30" plyo box in the center of the gym. I don't know of many 400-pound folks with vertical jumps that good, but apparently, it does make a great platform on which you can set your bottle of water. Now that's training economy.
3. If you thought the kettlebell trend was getting out of hands, just have a look at this:
Bench Pressing Dwarves: I Kid You Not
As long as they don't call me "comrade," I'm cool with it. Success is all about adherence, so if it takes the weight and attitude of a feisty human exercise prop giving you hell on every rep to get the job done - and that person doesn't mind - so be it.
4. We do a lot of anti-extension work with our athletes. While these progressions start with basic prone bridging, you can progress them to overhead medicine ball throwing variations and (my personal favorite) ab wheel variations. We'll do isometric holds, regular reps, and - as seen below - band-resisted ab wheel rollouts.
This is just one of over a dozen innovative, effective exercises Jim Smith introduces in his Combat Core resource; it's definitely worth checking out.
5. It's come to my attention that a tiny portion of my readers get all huffy when I don't post references for my blogs. While I could go to the trouble of posting references in all of them, the truth is that it clutters things up and takes away the informal tone of this blog. And, frankly, I often write these in my boxer shorts and unshowered, with a raging case of bedhead and some kind of angry, belligerent, "my mother didn't love me" music in the background. It's not exactly academia.
Suffice it to say that I can provide references for most of this stuff, and if I can't, I can sure tell you about a ton of bright professionals who have seen awesome anecdotal evidence - as the research world is typically years behind the smartest people who are in the trenches. If that's not good enough, oh well.
And on that note, I need to get back to the trenches. Have a great weekend!
In what has become a yearly tradition, it's now time for this year's installment of What I Learned. As always, I learned a ton, but here are a few that stuck out in my mind as I sat down to write this article.
Continue Reading...
- Eric Cressey
I was just checking in on how Maximum Strength is doing over at Amazon, and came across the following five-star customer review. As the reviewer notes, sometimes you need to get outside your comfort zone - both in training and in life - to get to where you want to be.
"This book is a must-read. I heard a lot of hype about this book before purchasing, and I'm glad I finally bought it. I did the entire 4 month routine and honestly, my body feels better than it ever has in the past."I was used to the traditional bodybuilding bodypart split of chest on Monday, legs on Tuesday, Arms on Wednesday, etc etc. For years, I just accepted that this was the way to train your body. I just dealt with back pain and shoulder pain as part of the "price of working out." Doing 5 exercises for your back in one day, and 5 exercises for your shoulders in one day is the absolute wrong way to train your body, unless you are an actual bodybuilder, but for the average fitness enthusiast, that just doesn't apply."Eric's book outlines splitting your routines into upper body days and lower body days. The routines are easy to follow. Full detailed pictures, and explanations. One of the most important things he advocates is varying the rep range each week within the 4 week routine. You probably never have done any exercise of 8 sets of 2 reps or 10 sets of 3 reps. You have to keep in mind Eric is a Strength & Conditioning Coach with the goal of getting you stronger. I was hesitant, but you have to open your mind and try it."My body feels stronger, and more balanced. There are a few non-traditional exercises that you probably have never heard of, or are hesitant to try out. My advice would be to do everything in the book to a T. It works. You may be reluctant to do so much deadlifting and squatting. You may have never hear of scapular push ups, walls slides, face pulls, or behind the neck band pull aparts. Open your mind. Follow the routines exactly and you will be glad you did. I know I am. Your body will feel so much stronger, more balanced, and your posture improves. I hope this doesn't sound like a 3 a.m info-mercial testimonial for the latest fitness product, because it's not. I'm a Certified Personal Trainer and a Certified Gym Rat who has been lifting for 11 years. Open your mind, try the routines, follow to a T. Your body will thank you."Click Here to Purchase Maximum Strength.
Free Teleseminar Series at SportsRehabExpert.com
I just wanted to give you all a heads-up on a great audio series - Sports Rehab to Sports Performance - that Joe Heiler has pulled together. I'll was interviewed on Friday, and Joe's also chatted will Mike Boyle, Gray Cook, Kyle Kiesel, Stuart McGill, Phil Plisky, Brett Jones, and Charlie Weingroff. The entire interview series is COMPLETELY FREE and begins airing later tomorrow night. You can get more information HERE.
Also, don't forget that the third annual Mike Boyle Strength & Conditioning Winter Seminar is fast approaching. For more information, click here.
Snowy Sunday Sentiments
Yesterday, in an email exchange I was having with some guys who are really "in the know" in the world of baseball pitching, one of them commented that pitchers need to start thinking more along the lines of training like Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers. In other words, less external loading, more pure-body weight drills, and a big focus on reactive ability (plyometrics drills, for the lay population).
I'll be the first to recognize Polamalu's accomplishments on the field - including an interception return for a touchdown yesterday. And, I admit that I don't know much about his training philosophy aside from what I have seen in 3-4 minute YouTube and NFL clips. So, I guess you could say that my point of contention is with what some folks take from viewing these clips, as was the case with this email exchange. So, I'll be very clear that I'm not criticizing the Sportslab philosophy; I'd love to buy these guys lunch and pick their brains, in fact.
However, I've got two cents to add - or maybe even three our four cents, depending on how poorly the American dollar is doing nowadays. I'm writing this on a snowy day in Massachusetts and I've got a little bit of extra time on my hands (a rarity during the baseball off-season for me).
I think that it is wrong to assume that weight training is unnecessary and plyometrics are sufficient for injury prevention and performance enhancement in pitchers. This is a common belief held among a large body of pitching coaches that I feel really needs to be addressed.
The fundamental problem I see is that a system that relies extensively on training elastic qualities. Or, in the terminology I like to use, it teaches an athlete to be more "spring," making better use of elastic energy from the tendons. This works best in an athlete who is largely static, or has a solid base of muscular strength.
Who would be a static athlete? Well, one example would be an athlete who gained a lot of strength in the previous four years...say, Troy Polamalu. He was a first-round draft pick out of USC, known for a good program under strength and conditioning coach Chris Carlisle. They've packed lots of muscle and strength on loads of high school guys over the years, no doubt. Polamalu may not realize it, but those four years of USC training probably set him up for the positive results he's seeing in this program - especially when you compare him to a good chunk of the NFL that now uses machine-based HIT training because they're afraid of weight-room injuries.
Basically, for the most part, only the freaky athletes make it to the "big dance" in football, so the S&C coach is responsibly for not hurting them. It's not much different in the world of baseball - but we're dealing with a MORE TRAINED population in the first place.
I'm sure that many of you have read Moneyball (and if you haven't, you should). One thing that they touch on over and over again is that high school draft picks don't pan out as well as college draft picks.
Sure, it has to do with facing better hitters and maturing another four years psychologically. However, one factor that nobody ever touches on is that these college draft picks have another four years of strength and conditioning under their belt in most cases. It may not be baseball-specific in many cases, but I would definitely argue that it's better than nothing. Strength goes a long way, but physiologically and psychologically.
And, that's what I want you to think about until my next newsletter comes out - when I'll get a bit more to the science of all this, and how it's been demonstrated in professional baseball.
New Blog ContentRandom Friday ThoughtsHow to Make an Exercise TougherAnother CP Intern on the Road to DieselFrozen Ankles, Ugly Squatting
Until next time, train hard and have fun.
EC
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used by Cressey Performance Pitchers after they Throw!
In this week's "The Biggest Loser made me want to stab my eye out with a hot poker" moment, I watched what appeared to be a 1,742-pound woman attempt to do an inverted row. It was an admirable attempt, for sure, but I'm sorry to say that in all my years of coaching and writing strength and conditioning programs, I've can think of fewer than 20 females who have ever been able to perform a single good inverted row.
This isn't a knock on women; it's just that they, on average, have markedly less strength than men in the upper body. And, more importantly, the inverted row is a more advanced strength exercise than people realize - so that strength discrepancy will be more readily apparent.
As a frame of reference, here is what a good inverted row looks like:
As you can see, the chin stays tucked to keep the cervical spine (neck) in line with the rest of the body. Without that forward head posture, you're getting just the kind of scapular retraction you want. Speaking of scapular retraction, you'll also notice that the chest is going ALL THE WAY up to the bar.
There are three compensation patterns that you'll come across. To protect the innocent, I won't post videos, but rest assured that if you did a quick YouTube search for "inverted row," you'd quickly come across example of the following:
1. The Ceiling Humper: This individual will give a little tug of elbow flexion and scapular retraction to get about halfway up, and then he/she will violently thrust the crotch to the heavens. In some circles, this individual is known as "The Fish." Regardless, it isn't pretty.
2. The Scared Cat: This individual basically does a curl - including curling the wrists in - so that there is essentially everything occurring except scapular retraction. In the process, they get to the top - but in that top position, they are rounded up in a ball like - you guessed it - a scared cat. There is, however, a delightful chin protrusion/forward head posture that makes that individual believe that the movement actually took place. Unfortunately, it didn't - and this effort, too, isn't pretty.
3. The Half-Asser: This individual is the lazy cousin of the Ceiling Humper and Scared Cat. He can be found around dudes who do half pull-ups, pop their collars, and live in their parents' basements. Very simply, he (or she, for that mattter) only goes halfway up - but usually still insists on using the feet-on-the-box set-up (the most advanced progression).
Sadly, the acronym IRA was already taken, so Inverted Rows Anonymous could never get off the ground - and these issues persist. I suspect that we're looking at a $47 million government stimulus package to remedy the issue. And, as our new commander-in-chief has stated, "things are going to get worse before they get better," be prepared to observe this inverted row ignorance for quite some time before it's addressed.
For a host of better scapular stabilization exercises, check out Optimal Shoulder Performance.
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No blog yesterday; things were kind of crazy around CP, and I did a 14-hour day that began with dropping Pete off at the airport at 6:15. The good news is that it allowed me to stockpile some content for today's random thoughts.
1. For this week's music selection, I got a little inspiration from one of Cressey Performance's newest clients. Here's a little old-school flavor for you:
2. Speaking of that new client, I guess you could say that the cat is out of the bag.
Rumor has it that this guy can pitch a little bit.
3. Here is a great review of Maximum Strength. I've been so busy lately that I actually forgot I'd published a book about six months ago and probably ought to mention it here and there! Click here to pick up a copy.
4. As I've written before, I'm not a fan of Vitamin Water - but I will say that I love article!
5. Apparently, George the Lobster is the talk of my hometown (Kennebunk/Kennebunkport, ME). They're freeing this 140-year-old , 20-pound lobster on the beach up there this weekend. It was a strategic move to release him in January, as it reduces the likelihood that George will be scared back into captivity by the socially-awkward males tourists on the beach in their lime green Speedos.
Oh, and on a semi-related note, I could eat an entire 20-pound lobster in one sitting and then be hungry 15 minutes later. Lobster alone never fills me up; I'm a surf and turf guy. Us Maine guys are spoiled brats like that.
6. For those who missed it, I had an article published late last week at T-Nation; check it out:
The Right Way to Stretch the Pecs
7. After a holiday hiatus, I got back on track with my newsletter this week. Newsletter 138 focuses on the misunderstood role of the rhomboids.
8. I got asked the other day why I cue folks to keep the chin tucked during squatting and deadlifting variations. Shoulder geek that I am - and even though it's just the tip of the iceberg - I gave the following perspective:
Cervical extension = levator scapulae shortness
Levator scapulae shortness = scapular anterior tilt and insufficient upward rotation
Scapular anterior tilt and reduced upward rotation = unhappy shoulder
Additionally, you've got the extensor reflex - which Mike Robertson covered quite nicely HERE.
Have a great weekend, everyone.
This is a random post, but it came about in light of our recent switch to a new hosting company, plus the reorganization of the site. In this drawn-out, mind-numbing, baldness-inducing process, I came to realize that a lot of my better writing has slipped into an internet black hole - or at the very least, the EricCressey.com archives. So, with that in mind, over the next few weeks, I'm going to reincarnate some of my old material.
Waiting to Reach ThresholdBack Squats and Overhead ThrowersThe Best Thing I've Seen All Year
And, if you're looking for sites that I visit nearly every day, I'll be posting some recommendations, too. Today, though, I want to give you a heads-up on a great audio series - Sports Rehab to Sports Performance - that Joe Heiler has pulled together. I'll be interviewed, as will Mike Boyle, Gray Cook, Kyle Kiesel, Stuart McGill, Phil Plisky, Brett Jones, and Charlie Weingroff. The entire interview series is COMPLETELY FREE, and you can get more information HERE.
I'll follow this up with future installments.
Q: I attended the baseball strength training clinic you gave in Long Island. I have a question for you about push-ups for pitchers. I am using push-ups with all player, and one of the parents has been concerned that push-ups are not good for pitchers. I was wondering if you could help me explain why push-ups are good for pitchers.
A: No problem. The two big "players" in scapular dysfunction are lower trapezius and serratus anterior. These muscles work in conjunction with the upper trapezius to upwardly rotate the scapula, which allows for safe overhead movements. Research has shown that baseball pitchers have less scapular upward rotation compared with position players and non-athletes - so it's definitely an adaptive change that we need to work to address.
Push-ups (when done correctly) can be useful for activating the serratus anterior, and as a closed-chain exercise, it has proprioceptive benefits at the shoulder girdle. Plus, you get a considerable effect in terms of core stability training, as you're resisting the effects of gravity in the "plank" position where the lumbar spine wants to slip into extension.
That said, if you're dealing with high school athletes, I'll warn you that over 90% of them (in my experience) need to be coached on how to do a push-up correctly. It isn't as simple as "just do this," as most of them will resort to incorrect technique. With a good pushup, the upper arms should be tucked to a 45-degree angle to the torso, and the athlete should actively "pull" himself down to the bottom position with the scapular retractors. The hips shouldn't sag, and there shouldn't be a forward head posture. Essentially, the chest - not the chin or hips - should get to the ground first.
